TV-Series
Description
Kaede Kunikida, also known as Kaede Fujimiya, is a central character whose actions and fate are deeply intertwined with the main conflict. She is the paternal twin sister of Momiji Fujimiya, and the two were separated at birth as a strategic measure for their protection. While Momiji was raised in a normal home, Kaede was adopted by Daitetsu Kunikida, the director of the Terrestrial Administration Center (TAC), and grew up fully aware of her identity as a Princess Kushinada. This heritage grants her a direct lineage to the mythical maiden Kushinada and, by extension, to the god Susanoo, giving her unique power over the plant-like monsters known as Aragami.
In terms of personality, Kaede is presented as the refined and graceful antithesis to her more energetic and impulsive sister. She is described as calm, intelligent, mature, and well-mannered, often coming across as the embodiment of perfection. However, this poised exterior conceals a deep well of suffering and disillusionment. Her life under the TAC's care was not one of simple protection; she was treated as a valuable specimen and a tool to be studied and experimented upon. This instrumentalization, coupled with constant danger from those who would kill her to trigger a mass-sealing of Aragami, fostered a profound bitterness and psychological distress.
Kaede’s motivations are rooted in this trauma. She begins her life shouldering her responsibilities as the Kushinada with the utmost seriousness. However, she comes to question the value of protecting a world she sees as corrupted by human selfishness and hatred. Her conclusion is that humanity itself is a blight, leading her to become a well-intentioned extremist. Her ultimate goal is to purge Japan of its human influence and restore it to a natural, green state by allowing the god Susanoo to take over the country.
Her role in the story is initially that of an absent, haunting presence. At the very beginning of the series, she disappears in a bright pillar of light, which is later revealed to be her defection to the side of the antagonist, Murakumo. Her disappearance is presumed a sacrifice, but she later returns, now aligned with the very forces the TAC was created to fight. This turn makes her a primary antagonist for a significant portion of the narrative, as she works with Murakumo to resurrect Susanoo, a plan that involves sacrificing human lives and transforming others into plant-like beings.
Kaede's key relationships are complex and driven by her circumstances. Her foster father, Daitetsu Kunikida, genuinely cared for her, and her disappearance devastated him, fueling his determination to protect Momiji where he felt he had failed Kaede. The most pivotal relationship is with Mamoru Kusanagi, a protector of the Kushinada line who was originally assigned to guard Kaede. Kusanagi developed deep feelings for her, and her return forces him into an agonizing conflict between his past devotion to her and his developing bond with Momiji. For her twin sister Momiji, Kaede serves as a constant, haunting standard of grace and sacrifice, though Momiji at times demonstrates a wisdom that Kaede cannot comprehend.
Throughout her character arc, Kaede undergoes a dramatic transformation. She evolves from a dutiful, if sorrowful, princess into a disillusioned antagonist seeking to end the world she despises. Her plan to resurrect Susanoo is ultimately thwarted. In her final act, she achieves a form of redemption, not through survival, but by entering a dormant, spiritual state alongside Susanoo, effectively removing herself from the conflict as a form of atonement for her actions.
As a Princess Kushinada, Kaede possesses several notable abilities. Her bloodline allows her to detect and combat Aragami. She acts as a Barrier Maiden, capable of using her blood to create powerful protective wards. Furthermore, her death carries a catastrophic potential; if she were to die, the release of her spiritual energy would create a wave that could seal all Aragami in Japan for centuries. Her powers, combined with her intelligence and resolve, make her a formidable figure whether she is acting as a protector or an agent of destruction.
In terms of personality, Kaede is presented as the refined and graceful antithesis to her more energetic and impulsive sister. She is described as calm, intelligent, mature, and well-mannered, often coming across as the embodiment of perfection. However, this poised exterior conceals a deep well of suffering and disillusionment. Her life under the TAC's care was not one of simple protection; she was treated as a valuable specimen and a tool to be studied and experimented upon. This instrumentalization, coupled with constant danger from those who would kill her to trigger a mass-sealing of Aragami, fostered a profound bitterness and psychological distress.
Kaede’s motivations are rooted in this trauma. She begins her life shouldering her responsibilities as the Kushinada with the utmost seriousness. However, she comes to question the value of protecting a world she sees as corrupted by human selfishness and hatred. Her conclusion is that humanity itself is a blight, leading her to become a well-intentioned extremist. Her ultimate goal is to purge Japan of its human influence and restore it to a natural, green state by allowing the god Susanoo to take over the country.
Her role in the story is initially that of an absent, haunting presence. At the very beginning of the series, she disappears in a bright pillar of light, which is later revealed to be her defection to the side of the antagonist, Murakumo. Her disappearance is presumed a sacrifice, but she later returns, now aligned with the very forces the TAC was created to fight. This turn makes her a primary antagonist for a significant portion of the narrative, as she works with Murakumo to resurrect Susanoo, a plan that involves sacrificing human lives and transforming others into plant-like beings.
Kaede's key relationships are complex and driven by her circumstances. Her foster father, Daitetsu Kunikida, genuinely cared for her, and her disappearance devastated him, fueling his determination to protect Momiji where he felt he had failed Kaede. The most pivotal relationship is with Mamoru Kusanagi, a protector of the Kushinada line who was originally assigned to guard Kaede. Kusanagi developed deep feelings for her, and her return forces him into an agonizing conflict between his past devotion to her and his developing bond with Momiji. For her twin sister Momiji, Kaede serves as a constant, haunting standard of grace and sacrifice, though Momiji at times demonstrates a wisdom that Kaede cannot comprehend.
Throughout her character arc, Kaede undergoes a dramatic transformation. She evolves from a dutiful, if sorrowful, princess into a disillusioned antagonist seeking to end the world she despises. Her plan to resurrect Susanoo is ultimately thwarted. In her final act, she achieves a form of redemption, not through survival, but by entering a dormant, spiritual state alongside Susanoo, effectively removing herself from the conflict as a form of atonement for her actions.
As a Princess Kushinada, Kaede possesses several notable abilities. Her bloodline allows her to detect and combat Aragami. She acts as a Barrier Maiden, capable of using her blood to create powerful protective wards. Furthermore, her death carries a catastrophic potential; if she were to die, the release of her spiritual energy would create a wave that could seal all Aragami in Japan for centuries. Her powers, combined with her intelligence and resolve, make her a formidable figure whether she is acting as a protector or an agent of destruction.